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Notify method with evidence: Usage independent information on market confidence, development, and client need to guide your strategic instructions. Verify financial investment plans: Guarantee resource allotment and initiatives are backed by reliable market insight. Speed up confident decisions: Equip members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach contract quickly and take definitive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA between the GCC and the UK is a Major Strategic Opportunity to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Might 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program strengthens worldwide economic ties with 26 strategic contracts," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double annual United States financial investments over next years," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Reality Sheet: President Donald J.
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Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, risk oversight, and tactical direction within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are intentionally developing a recurring forum that surfaces board-level insight, magnifies trustworthy female governance voices, and expands access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
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Overall assets held broadly consistent over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a response to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful new capital release. Worldwide macro conditions set a challenging backdrop.
The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Efficiency across the market was broadly unfavorable, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decline. In general, the data shows a market that is active but narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of products.
Compliance Survival Guide for Companies Running in MuscatEfficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in particular country direct exposures and commodities, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were durable throughout the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its local market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs amidst higher oil prices, as well as its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt delivered strong performance in January and February. Despite a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have actually reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also dealt with broader macro headwinds, consisting of a more cautious policy backdrop in China and global risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy rates. Thematic ETFs Struggled for the many part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as appraisal pressures and international rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, showing selective allocation rather than broad market involvement. Regardless of weak efficiency, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a little number of items bring in brand-new capital.
Trading activity stayed steady, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. Many activity appears to have occurred in the secondary market, allowing financiers to adjust positions without substantial primary productions or redemptions. While current geopolitical occasions have led to more monetary pressure on GCC nations, the region remains resistant and well capitalized to handle the scenario.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic exposure focused on international high-end and consumer brand names. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the dispute has actually impacted belief and rates throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional possessions.
Regardless of ongoing geopolitical tensions and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show resilience, maintaining favorable development momentum over the last few years. While conflicts in the wider region and global financial uncertainty remain a structural constraint, GCC countries have actually so far restricted their effect on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy connection, and sustained financial investment.
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